Discovering Who Was the First NBA Champion and the Historic 1947 Championship Story
I still remember the first time I learned about the 1947 NBA Championship—or rather, the BAA Championship, since the league wouldn't officially become the NBA until 1949. It struck me how different that inaugural championship was from the modern NBA playoffs we're accustomed to today. When people ask "who was the first NBA champion," the answer takes us back to the Philadelphia Warriors, led by player-coach Joe Fulks, who defeated the Chicago Stags 4-1 in that historic finals series. But what fascinates me even more is the sheer physical and mental endurance required during those early days of professional basketball.
The reference material about modern tournaments versus that 1947 season really resonates with me. That observation about how "it's not like local tournaments where you can stick to a specific seven and then get to rest 4-5 days before the next game" perfectly captures what made that first championship so remarkable. Those Warriors players had to adapt to a brutal schedule where, as the source noted, "every game naglalaro and we're expected to play with anyone who is put inside the court." This wasn't the carefully managed minutes and rotation patterns we see today—this was survival basketball at its most raw form.
What many casual fans don't realize is that the 1947 championship came at the end of a grueling 61-game regular season followed by playoffs that tested teams' depth in ways modern coaches would find terrifying. The Warriors' roster featured only about 10-12 players, with most starters logging what would be considered insane minutes by today's standards. Joe Fulks, the league's first scoring champion, often played entire games without substitution, something you'd never see in today's load-management obsessed NBA.
I've always been particularly drawn to the story of how the Warriors managed to win that first title despite numerous challenges. Their championship victory wasn't just about talent—it was about adaptability. The comment about being "expected to play with anyone who is put inside the court" reminds me of how coach Eddie Gottlieb had to constantly adjust his lineups due to injuries and fatigue. There were no designated role players in the modern sense—everyone had to be ready to contribute in multiple ways, something I think today's specialists would struggle with.
The financial aspect of that first championship often gets overlooked too. The Warriors' total playoff share for winning the title was approximately $12,000 to be divided among the entire team—compare that to today's multi-million dollar playoff pools. Yet these pioneers played with a passion that sometimes feels missing from the modern game's business-first environment. They weren't just playing for money; they were establishing the legacy of professional basketball.
What really stands out to me about that 1947 championship story is how it set the template for everything that followed. The Warriors' victory established the fast-breaking style that would become synonymous with Philadelphia basketball for decades. Their 4-1 series victory over the Stags featured several overtime games and came down to crucial defensive stops that modern analytics would probably consider low-percentage, but which demonstrated the heart of those early professionals.
I sometimes wonder if today's players could handle the conditions of that inaugural season. The travel alone was brutal—train journeys between cities, sometimes playing back-to-back nights in different states without the luxury of chartered flights. The reference to not having "4-5 days rest between games" barely scratches the surface of how demanding that schedule was. Yet these men pushed through, creating the foundation for what would become the global phenomenon we know today.
The legacy of that first NBA champion continues to influence the league in subtle ways. The Warriors' championship run proved that professional basketball could capture the public's imagination, setting attendance records that surprised even the most optimistic owners. Their victory parade through Philadelphia streets, while modest by today's standards, marked the beginning of championship celebrations becoming cultural events.
As I reflect on that historic 1947 championship, I'm struck by how much the game has changed, yet how the core challenge remains the same. The observation about having to "play with anyone who is put inside the court" still applies today, though in different ways. Modern coaches still have to adapt to unexpected circumstances, just as Eddie Gottlieb did 75 years ago. The Philadelphia Warriors' triumph wasn't just about being the first—it was about establishing a standard of resilience that every champion since has had to meet.
That first NBA champion story continues to resonate because it's fundamentally about overcoming adversity through teamwork and adaptability. The Warriors didn't have the most talented roster on paper, but they had the right mix of toughness and basketball IQ to navigate that inaugural season's unique challenges. Their victory set the stage for everything that followed, creating a template for championship basketball that still holds valuable lessons for today's teams and players.
